Vehicle fender structure



Aug. 2s, 1951 s, E,l BRADLEY Em y' v12,566,282

VEHICLE FENDER STRUCTURE Filed Oct. 4$22, 1949 our improved fender welt,

`head portion of the fender welt.

Patented Aug. 28, 19,51

stephen nfrasley, Gro

s'se" Pointe, Mich., and

` Rufus C. SandersgvEvansville, Ind., assignors to Chrysler CorpoatiomrHghland Park, `Mich., a.

corporation ofDelaware 1l:

Application october 22, laiafserial No. 122,912

Our invention relates to motor vehicles generally and ,more particularly to an improved Welt for the assembly of theA rear fenders on the vehicle bodies. l

YIn the past, portions of the fender welts used have been fabric of various types which are readily susceptible to the absorptionnofwwater.A Asa result, the water retained by the welts has caused both the fender and the body of thevehicle to rust at thejuncturefof the'two.V y A principal object of our invention is to'provide a vehicle body and fender assembly with animproved fender welt which willfnot` absorb'moisture and cause rustingatthe juncture of the fender and body.

Another object of our invention is to provide a fender welt of the type which is incre pliable and therefore easier to handle than the conventional welts known to the art. n l.

A further objectv ofour invention is toprovide a fender and body assembly with an Aimproved fender welt which not onlyvseals the juncture of the fenderand. thev body ,but also covers. slight mismatches of the two. f

Still another object of; our .invention isto provide an improved weltwhich is easily clamped Ybetween the fender andthe body,- has a very neat appearance and is easily and economically manufactured. Other objects and advantageswill become more vapparent from the followingdescription of 4one embodimentv of our invention, reference being had to the accompanying drawings in which-:..

Fig. 1 is a side elevational viewof the rear portion of the motor vehicle.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, .transversesectional view taken on the line 2-.2 ofFig.,1 .and showing Fig. 3 is a sectional View takenon of Fig. 2. y

Fig. 4 is a perspective view -of our improved Welt. l Y ,L Fig. 5` is an enlarged elevational .view oi vthe theiinea-s In thedrawings, we have shown ay motor vehicle, generally designated. bythe numeral III,

comprising a body portion II which has a conventional fender I2 secured thereto. Referring now more particularly to Fig. 2, thefbody portion II is provided with a substantially horizontal smooth y 3 claims. (Cl. aso-153.5)

-there is provided between the body wall portions I3, and I4 and the fender wall portions I5 and I6 a fender welt, ygenerally designated by the numeral I1. The fenderwelt I'I is provided with a web portion I8 disposed between the walls I4 and IG of the body portion and fender, respectively, and a head portion I9 integrally connected to the web portion at the top edge thereof. The web portion I8 is in the form of a strip which extends the entire distance of the juncture of the fender I2 with the body portion II. The head portion I9 extends longitudinaly -of the welt, presents avisible circular or rounded contour and is provided with depending lateral side portions 20 and 2I which engage the walls I3 and I5, respectively, adjacent the juncture of the fender and-the: body. Asmore clearly seen in Fig. 5, the head portion. I9 is similar in section to the section of the head of a mushroom wherein the under surfaces of the lateral side portions are of c'oncaved'curvature. The configuration of the head portion ISI has-been designed so that the lateral side portions 20 and 2|, when forced downwardly, as clearly shown in Fig. 2, will deflect slightly and engage the walls I5 and I3, respectively, in a sealing manner to prevent the influx-of water, dirt and other foreign matter.

,The wall portion. of the vehicle body II is bowed or offset slightly inwardly at 22 to present a shoulder 23. The web portion IB is provided with a bead 24 which, as shown in Fig. 4, extends longitudinally of the welt and is spaced from the head portion I9 a slightly shorter dis- Ytancethan the distance of the shoulder 23 from v and would not, retain thewater.

smooth surface formed by the cooperating walls I5 and I3, respectively.

In order that the fender may be assembled with the body and that the bead 24 may engage the-shoulder 23 and the wall I6, the assembly is provided with a series of nut and bolt units 25, one of which is shown in 2, the bolt thereof extending through the wall I4 of the body pol'-` tion I I, a slot 26 in the web portionIB of the welt and the wall I6 cf the fender I2. The slots 26. one of which is more clearly shown in Fig. 3, are provided in the web portio-n I8 of the welt I'I not only to allow passage of vthe nut aand bolt assemblies "25'bu't alsoY to prevent wrinkling of the lower portion of the fender welt when it applied along a curved path, and to facilitate the`4 plablity of the welt when it is putf in place.

may be readily seen since the welt iscurvedldur.-

ing application to follow l'the v juncl'fureof* the 'f fender and the body. Largerslots thansthoseg needed to accommodate the p-assage of the bolts may be used and in this way material ,maybe saved Without affecting the efficiency of the welt.

should be noted that because of this dual feature of preventing the entrance of water as well as the retention thereof, rusting of the body portion II and the fender I2 adjacent the juncture thereof is eliminated.

Although various methods may be employedy untily 'thefgstr'ucture is fisbstantially rigid.

It should be pointedlout that by employing an entire plastic or rubber-like fender welt to the "assembly of the body and fender, the color scheme of` the automobile may be enhanced. This .true since the plastic orrubber-like material may'be ,precolored at the manufacturers :ther-cof; beforegit isassembled with the vehicle to the color'iof vrthervehicle body portion and the ,fender .therehygeiving the vehicle a smooth ap- By applying the nut and bolt assemblies '25so Y that the fender is mounted on the body portion,

the'wall I6 is spaced from the wall I4 atthe upper portion thereof a distance equal tothe :width of the web portion between the bead 24 'and the head portion I9. engage the web portion at that location as vwell fas ata location `at the lower lateral edge .of the lwebiportion. This latter location, designated .by .the numeral 21, has a width substantially equal ito-the'avidth of the web portion I8 between the lbead 24and the head portion I9. The .widthof 'the web portionA I8 betweenthe location 2l and .fthe bead `24 may :be-reduced, as shown in Fig. 2 .and Fig.r4, to conserve. on the amountof matemrial used.

:conventional fender welts has been metal and Xa satisfactory seal between the head portionand the cooperating smooth. surfaces. of the body The walls I4 and I6 In theV past the head 'portion used .and'fender has not been obtained; The head-por.

tion I9. as well as the entire welt I1, as disclosed y, ,in our improved invention, comprises vnon-metaltlic, non-absorbent yieldable rubber-.like material. -Itmay be readily seenthat the depending lateral r,side portions 20 and 2l of our improved-welt may izeasily be ypulled down ina sealingv manner on tol the walls I5 and I3,;respectively, bya combination of the bead 24 engaging the shoulder 23 and fthe. wallf-IG and the clamping action of the nut -and bolt assemblies 25. ithebead 24 and shoulder 23 aidin pulling the :head'..:I9 downwardly., The lower edge portion jiofA the web vI8 is thicker than the remainderfof the weband it therefore serves to space apart the -portions of the walls I4 and vIIi of the fender and body between'which it is engaged sufficiently to securely clamp the upper, edge portion of the web I8 between the upper edge portions ofthese 'Walls when the nut and bolt assemblies are tightened. In this manner, the entrance of water `to the location between thevwalls I4 and I6 is 'clearly reduced if not entirely eliminated. Further, if'any water should possiblyv get by the seal formed by the side. portions 20 and 2l, the seal formed by the bead 24, the wall I 6 and the shoulfder 23 would provide an excellent barrier. If by somepossibility the water got through both seals. it; would not be retained within the. tween the walls I4 and space be- IB because of the slots 26 "which would allow vdrainage and ventilation and valso because the entire welt I'I is non-absorbent Therefore, it

The inclined sides -o'f :be .securedfto the peariaince.l

-Aithough numerous types of yieidable rubberlike materials may be. used for our improved i fenderk welt, thev :following materials have been found satisfactory; natural rubber; synthetic rubber suchas neoprene, (polychloroprene') and rubber-like vinyl or other resin compounds.

`Theelimination-of rust isone of the :principal objectsiofhuninvention -andso it should .be noted that our improved welt may be made with a metallic head portion .without departing from Vthe .spirit .of theinvention wAlhead portion composed of any one of variousmetallic compositions may .plasticiweb portion without deprlvingthe weltY of its non-rusting qualities. -,Although.but.one specific embodiment of the `invention. isherein shownand described, it will be understood that various changes inthe sequence o'f operations, steps and materials empioyed may be made withoutrdeparting from the `spiritpof the invention. f We claim:

1.l Ina vehicle havinga :body portionand a enden, each havingportions cooperating to form a substantially smooth surface and a chamber .spaced from said surface, a welt of yieldable nonabsorbent material comprising a web portion dis- -posedbetween said fender and body portion'and lbiavinga bead thereon disposed within said chama;.head portion integrally connected to said portion: having. portions engaging said sursaid chamber having a wall portion engagweb.. face,

4ing,f-.rsairl.beadY andy urging said head portion :against-.said surface vandmeans for clampingly fender.' .each .having 'portions cooperatiiflg to form a substantially smooth' lsurface and `a chamber :spaced :from said surface. a welt of yieldable nonabsorbent plastic material comprising a web por- Ttion', disposed between said body portion 'and fender and having a bead extending longitudinally.. thereof within-said chamber, a head portion integrallysecured to said web portion and engaging.r said bodyportion and fender on said surface, said-bead engagingva well of said chamnber'and rurgi'ng'said head portion into sealing en- 5g-agement Withsaid surface, and means maintaininglsaid bodyfpor-t'ion and fender in an as- .11:5 :sembledi relationship.

3. In a vehicle having a body portion and a fender, each having portions cooperating to form a substantially smooth surface and a chamber spaced from said surface, a welt comprising a web portion of yieldable non-absorbent material disthan the distance said chamber is spaced from said surface and means securing said body portion and fender in an assembled relationship.

STEPHEN D. BRADLEY. RUFUS vC. SANDERS.

YREFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATESv PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 13,945 McCormick July 13, 1915 1,964,675 Schemmel June 26, 1934 2,234,121 Hedeen Mar. 4, 1941 

